Polarization division multiple access

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to systems and methods for polarization division multiple access. A polarized antenna system having a plurality of differently-polarized antennas is envisioned for wirelessly communicating with a plurality of user devices in a wireless network environment. Each polarized pair of antenna elements, using a particular frequency, will transmit signals using a polarization-frequency pair and a base station will instruct user devices which polarization-frequency pair they should tune to for processing the appropriate downlink signal. Using OFDMA with a polarized antenna system increases capacity without the need for deploying additional base stations.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for multiple access in a wireless network environment comprising:
 transmitting a first set of downlink signals using a first frequency and a first chipping code to a first plurality of user devices in a coverage area using a first antenna of a plurality of antennas, the first antenna having a first polarity;   transmitting a second set of downlink signals using a second frequency to a second plurality of user devices in the coverage area using a second antenna of the plurality of antennas, the second antenna having a second polarity, wherein the first polarity is different than the second polarity and the first plurality of user devices is different than the second plurality of user devices; and   transmitting a third set of downlink signals using the first frequency and a second chipping code to a third user device using a third antenna of the plurality of antennas, the third antenna having a third polarity, wherein the third polarity is different than each of the first polarity and the second polarity, the second chipping code being different than the first chipping code.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first set of downlink signals and the second set of downlink signals are transmitted on a common frequency. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first polarity is 90 degrees different than the second polarity. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the first polarity is 22.5 degrees and the second polarity is 111.5 degrees. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting the second set of downlink signals and transmitting the third set of downlink signals is in response to determining that a number of UEs present within the coverage area is greater than a threshold. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the polarized antenna system comprises  8  antennas. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein a first inter-polarization angle between the first antenna and the second antenna is equal to a second inter-polarization angle between the second antenna and a third antenna, the second antenna being adjacent to the first antenna and the third antenna being clockwise adjacent to the second antenna. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first set of downlink signals are transmitted at the same time as the second set of downlink signals. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first set of downlink signals and the second set of downlink signals is transmitted using orthogonal frequency division multiple access. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a first inter-polarization angle between the first antenna and the second antenna is different than a second inter-polarization angle between the second antenna and a third antenna, the second antenna being adjacent to the first antenna and the third antenna being clockwise adjacent to the second antenna. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each antenna of the plurality of antennas transmits one or more downlink signals on a different frequency. 
     
     
         12 . A method for polarization division multiple access comprising:
 transmitting a first set of downlink signals to a first plurality of user devices in a coverage area using a first antenna of an antenna array during a first time period and a second time period, the first antenna having a first polarity; and   transmitting a second set of downlink signals to a second plurality of user devices in the coverage area using a second antenna of the antenna array during a first time period and a second time period, the second antenna having a second polarity.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the first set of downlink signals are transmitted on a first frequency and the second set of downlink signals are transmitted on a second frequency, the first frequency being different than the second frequency. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the polarized antenna system comprises 8 antennas. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein each of the first set of downlink signals and the second set of downlink signals is transmitted using orthogonal frequency division multiple access, the first set of downlink signals being encoded with a first chipping code and the second set of downlink signals being encoded with a second chipping code, the first chipping code being different than the second chipping code, and wherein the one or more computer processing components are configured to communicate the chipping code and a polarization-frequency tuning instruction to the first plurality of user devices. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the first frequency is the same as the second frequency. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein each of the first polarity and the second polarity are linearly polarized, the first polarity having a polarization 90 degrees offset from the second polarity. 
     
     
         18 . A polarized antenna system comprising:
 a polarized antenna array comprising a first antenna element and a second antenna element, wherein each of the first antenna element and the second antenna element have a different polarity;   one or more computer processing components communicatively coupled to the polarized antenna array and configured to perform a method comprising:   using the first antenna element to communicate with a first user device in a coverage area during a first time period;   using the second antenna element to communicate with a second user device in the coverage area during the first time period;   determining that the second user device is experiencing a service degradation during the first time period; and   deactivating the second antenna element and using the first antenna element to communicate with the first user device and the second device in the second time period, the second time period subsequent to the first time period.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the service degradation is determined in response to an indication that at least one antenna of the first set of polarized antennas is faulty. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 . wherein the service degradation is determined in response to an indication that a channel condition of the coverage area exceeds a predetermined threshold.